INVOLVEMENT OF FREE-RADICALS IN THE CARDIOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF DEFIBROTIDE

Ischemia followed by reperfusion has deleterious effects on myocardial tissue and a wide range of drugs have been investigated to modulate t hese changes. Defibrotide (polydeoxyribonucleotides from bovine lung), a drug with antithrombotic and fibrinolytic activities, has also prov en to be cardioprotective against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion dama ge. However, the mechanism of this protective effect has not been clar ified yet. The aim of this study was to determine whether this effect is due to protection against free radical induced changes. The experim ental model in rabbits includes coronary artery ligation for 60 min fo llowed by a reperfusion period of 45 min. In this model, free radical damage was estimated by different parameters of lipid peroxidation suc h as diene conjugation, carbonyl content, and thiobarbituric acid reac tive substances, together with protein oxidation determinations. The r esults demonstrate that defibrotide prevents free radical induced chan ges after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion.